Discussions By Condition: I cannot get a diagnosis.

living with a prolapsed uterus

Hi! I've been trying to find information online about what you should not do when you have a uterine prolapse but apart from treatment (surgery or a pessary) and suggestions to loose weight and stop smoking, I can't find anything. I have a second degree prolapse and of course don't want to make it worse. A friend told me that you can't run or jump or do vigorous arobics with a prolapsed uterus and so I've stopped doing any of these, but that makes keeping my weight at a managable level quite difficult. I'm 30, so would like to stay fit if possible. Do you have any help for me on this subject? Much appreciated.

9 Replies:

You might try Kegel and butt squeeze exercises since the prolapse could be caused by weaked pelvis floor muscles. If it's the ligaments, well then good luck, because it's not going to get any better with time. Since your uterus has dropped, it could be pressing on your rectum and bladder and cause you future problems with constipation and peeing constantly. Why don't you want to have surgery? There are two operations that can preserve the uterus for childbirth. At least get a pessary.

I haven't really considered surgery yet because it doesn't bother me. It's from having three natural deliveries and my doctor said pelvic exercises wont help at all :(. I mainly want to know if I can jog or if doing that will make it worse.

Imagine your ligaments as a sling holding your sagging uterus. I would think that you could stretch the ligaments even more with all the pounding of running. Similar ligaments hold breast tissue up, so wear a really good jog bra. ***n gravity!

How far along are you? My doctor told me I had a prolapsed uterus when I was just 5 months or so along and scared me. I came home and did a ton of research online and found out that 60% of more of pregnancies at my stage WERE prolapsed and "migrate" out of the way of the cervix later gradually in pregnancy. I read that most women are NOT diagnosed with prolapses at this point because it's too soon to be considered one, and an ultrasound isn't routinely conducted at this point without other reason, and therefore 'discovered' (technology is also somewhat new historically). I was actually a bit upset that my 'doc' scared me for what turned out to be no reason & quite normal.Maybe you can find some more research papers online regarding the subject and your stage of pregnancy. HTHLeeAnn

Imagine your ligaments as a sling holding your sagging uterus. I would think that you could stretch the ligaments even more with all the pounding of running. Similar ligaments hold breast tissue up, so wear a really good jog bra. ***n gravity!Thanks for the input. So would a pessary act as a jogging bra in this case and hold it in place while I run? Sorry if this sounds silly, I just don't know much about this. And to answer the other question, it's a second degree prolapse. I'm not pregnant, I've had three natural deliveries (on one of which suction was used to pull the baby out) and that caused it to prolapse.

Sorry, don't know much about a pessary but the manufacturer could help you with this question. Its a ring that is jammed (sorry, inserted is a better word) into the vagina and will keep the vagina and bladder and uterus in a certain position, I think. I don't think I would want anything bouncing around inside myself that was not myself! IUD's, pacemakers etc. It would be certain to create friction internally and I've heard that some neoplasms are started by irritation of the tissues and cells. You could probably run as long at it wasn't on concrete, but I wouldn't want to do any jumping-jacks! Anyway, why run? Gravity will age you on it's own and doesn't need to be helped by repetivive percussion on pavement. A vaginal pessary is a removable device placed into the vagina. It is designed to support areas of pelvic organ prolapse.There are a variety of pessaries available, made of rubber, plastic, or silicone-based material. Your health professional will fit your pessary to hold the pelvic organs in position without causing discomfort. Pessaries come in a variety of sizes and should be fitted carefully. Pessaries can be used successfully to treat other gynecologic conditions, such as a uterus that is in the wrong position.What To Expect After Treatment Your pessary will be fitted in your health professional's office. You may need to experiment with different kinds of pessaries to find one that feels right for you. Your health professional will teach you how to remove, clean, and reinsert it on a regular schedule. The cleaning schedule is determined by the type of pelvic organ prolapse and the specific brand of pessary. If it is hard for you to remove and replace your pessary, you can have it done regularly at your doctor's office.Why It Is Done Pessaries are used as a nonsurgical approach to the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. They are frequently used to treat uterine prolapse in young women during pregnancy. In this instance, the pessary holds the uterus in the correct position before it enlarges and becomes trapped in the vaginal canal.Pessaries are also used when symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse are mild or when childbearing is not complete. They can be used in women who have other serious chronic health problems, such as heart or lung disease, that make a surgical procedure more dangerous.Pessaries are sometimes used to see what the effect of surgery for pelvic organ prolapse will be on urinary symptoms. This is called a "pessary test." If you have a problem with incontinence with a pessary inserted, a separate surgery to fix the incontinence problem may be done at the same time as a prolapse surgeryHow Well It Works Pessaries do not cure pelvic organ prolapse but help manage and slow the progression of prolapse by adding support to the vagina and increasing tightness of the tissues and muscles of the pelvis. Symptoms improve in many women who use a pessary, and for some women symptoms go away.1Risks Possible complications from wearing a pessary include:Open sores in the vaginal wall. Bleeding. Wearing away of the vaginal wall. In severe cases, an opening (fistula) can form between the vagina and the rectum. Bulging of the rectum against the vaginal wall (rectocele formation). Complications can be minimized by having a pessary that fits correctly and that does not put too much pressure on the wall of the vagina. Your pessary should be checked frequently by your health professional until both of you are satisfied with the fit.In post menopausal women, estrogen (cream, ring, or tablets) is sometimes used with a pessary to help with irritation caused by the pessary.Follow your health professional's instructions for cleaning your pessary, because regular cleaning reduces the risk of complications. The cleaning schedule is determined by the type of pelvic organ prolapse and the specific brand of pessary.What To Think About Pessaries often are an effective tool for managing pelvic organ prolapse without surgery. They may be the best choice if you are a young woman who has not finished having children, if you have been told that surgery would be risky for you, or if you do not wish to have surgery for other reasons.A pessary may not be a good choice after having a hysterectomy. This is because the walls of the vagina are no longer held in place by the uterus and cervix. Women with severe prolapse following a hysterectomy may have difficulty keeping the pessary in place.Many women can have sexual intercourse with their pessary in place. But you cannot insert a diaphragm (a round rubber device used as a barrier method of birth control) while wearing a pessary. If you have not reached menopause, you may want to discuss birth control with your doctor.

Hi,I don't know if you had surgery since you last posted and if what I am going to write makes any sense to anyone but here it goes. I had surgery on April 19, 2010. I had a prolapsed uterus. The surgeon removed my uterus but left my ovaries so I would not go into menopause right away. My advice to anyone having this problem is not to wait too long before fixing your problem. I believed I could just live with it and continue my regular activities (cross-training 5X a week, jogging, step, free weight lifting, cycling, etc.). I noticed this January that I could almost feel my uterus pop out. Not good!!! I saw my doctor in February and we decided on surgery for April... once in he realized that I needed repair since my uterus had dropped, it was pressing on your rectum and bladder and caused problems. Yes, I could have gone with a pessary but in the end, I believe I made the right choice for me. I have had 2 natural child births and have never been overweight. Strangely enough, I have this condition. I had never heard of this before, but apparently it is very common. I am resting and trying not to do much except walking for now. It has been 5 weeks since surgery and will take it slowly for another 2 months.

I find the pessary uncomfortable, though I was fitted by a gyn. Tried using a tampon and it works fine. best of all, is easily removed daily. now wondering if a simple diaphram would work instead of the Pessary?